PHILOSOPHICAL SCIENCES

Etymological Analysis of the Concept Arche in Ancient Greek

Andreeva O. (Russian Federation)
Этимологический анализ категории «архэ» в древнегреческом языке
Андреева О. С. (Российская Федерация)
Andreeva O. (Russian Federation) Etymological Analysis of the Concept Arche in Ancient Greek / Андреева О. С. (Российская Федерация) Этимологический анализ категории «архэ» в древнегреческом языке

Андреева Ольга Сергеевна / Andreeva Olga – ассистент,

кафедра социологии и политологии, социологический факультет,
Самарский национальный исследовательский университет имени академика С. П. Королева, г. Самара

Abstract: the article analyses the philosophical concept arche in ancient Greek etymology. As a result of
the research it proves the statement that in Ancient Greek the word arche combined the meanings of
origin and power.
Аннотация: в статье философская категория архэ анализируется с точки зрения древнегреческой
этимологии. Делается вывод о том, что изначально в древнегреческом языке понятие архэ сочетало в
себе значения начала, происхождения и власти.

Keywords: arche, philosophical concept, Ancient Greek etymology.

Ключевые слова: архэ, начало, философская категория, греческая этимология.

The concept arche (ảρχή) appeared at the same time when the ancient philosophy emerged. By reasoning
about arche ancient Greek philosophers tried to find the origin and the first principle of the world existence.
The early Greek philosophers meant different elements by arche: Thales believed the first principle of all
things is water, Anaximenes claimed the air as arche, Heraclitus considered that the arche is fire. All of them
proved their statements in a certain way and every of them thought all the things might come into existence
from the element they claimed to be arche.
In the later philosophy the interpretation of arche became more and more abstract. Even Anaximander named
arche as apeiron, i.e. indefinite and unlimited. For Pythagoras the arche was number, which in his opinion defined
the order of nature. Democritus thought that everything was composed of atoms, which he claimed to be the
arche. In medieval philosophy the God became the arche of the world as creator of it. In modern age philosophers
continued to search arche – the first principle of the world existence and evolution. Hegel philosophy considered
that it was absolute idea, for philosophy of life the arche was the will (Schopenhauer), the will to power
(Nietzsche) or Élan vital (Bergson), for existentialist philosophers it was freedom etc. [3]. Thus, arche became the
most important concept in philosophy from the ancient up to modern age.
As we see the philosophical concept of arche originated in Ancient Greek, later it spread to other European
languages. Etymological research might reveal the original meaning of the word “arche”, so to comprehend its
sense better we should go deep into the history of this language. What meanings this word had in Ancient
Greek? To answer this question we should analyze the data of etymological dictionaries.
The most famous etymological dictionary of Ancient Greek was written by H. Frisk in 1960 in German
[2]. The latest and contemporary etymological dictionary of ancient Greek was published by R. Beekes in
2010 in English [1]. Our research will be based on the data of these dictionaries.
According to the etymological dictionary by Frisk the word ảρχή (arche) had two meanings in Ancient
Greek. The first one was “begin, origin”. From this meaning such words as ảρχαĩος, (which meant “original,
ancient, old”) and ảρχαιότης (“antiquity”) derived [2, p. 158].
The second meaning of the word ảρχή was “reign, power, authority” [2, p. 158]. The word ảρχικóς, which
meant “pretending to power”, sprang from it. Sometimes dictionaries may specify the third meaning of ảρχή –
“region, satrapy”, which obviously originated from the second meaning of this word.
The related verb ἄρχω had the similar meanings in Ancient Greek. Its general meaning was “to be first”.
Also it might be used in a sense “to begin, to initiate” or “to rule” [1, p. 145]. From the same root the name of
actor derived in Ancient Greek: ảρχός – “chief, leader” – and the title of position ἄρχων, ἄρχοντος – “head,
superior, ruler, governor, – which was the title of the highest official in Athens [1, p. 145]. This position
existed in ancient Greece from the 11th century b.c.
Thus two meanings “origin” and “power” combined in the word “ảρχή” in Ancient Greek. The semes of
power and antiquity presented in its derivative words. The same relations we see for example in the Latin
language for such words as “princeps” – “the first, the noble” – and “princĭpium”, “prĭncipālis” – “beginning,
origin” [4, p. 367; p. 362]. We may suppose that this bond occurred because of the fact that in the traditional
society like ancient Greece and ancient Rome power belonged to the old members of society. For example in
66
ancient Greece in Sparta such government body as Gerousia, i.e. the council of elders existed for a long time.
In this council the wise and experienced members of society were the power holders as ancestors and
patriarchs. But exactly in Ancient Greek due to the progress of philosophy the word “ảρχή” obtained an
abstract meaning as the first principle.

References

1. Beekes R. Etymological Dictionary of Greek. Vol. I. Leiden-Boston: Brill, 2010. 1808 p.

2. Frisk H. Griechisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Band I. Heidelberg: Carl Winter-Universitätsverlag,
1960. 938 s.
3. Hofmeister H. Philosophisch denken. Stuttgart: UTB, 1997. 462 s.
4. Valpy F. Elymological Dictionary of the Latin Language. London: Red Lion Court, 1928. 550 p.
5. Walde A. Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch. Neubearbeutete auflage von J. B. Hofmann. Band II.
Heidelberg: Carl Winter’s Universitätsbuchhandlung, 1954. 852 s.

67